Russell and Ruth Peck

Russell Peck, the John Hall Deane Professor of English at the University of Rochester, is a teacher, scholar, farmer, gardener, digital entrepreneur, and, above all, an inspiration to his students, colleagues, and the scholarly community at-large. Very few teachers have more closely affected the intellectual and cultural development of our students than Professor Peck. Help honor his half century of dedication to the University by making a gift toward an endowment in the names of Russell and Ruth Peck, a permanent fund that would bear their names in perpetuity.

About Russell Peck

Professor Peck has taught hundreds, if not thousands, of students, and to this day, his courses consistently attract the most talented undergraduates. He has also been the guiding force and an instrumental contributor to the University of Rochester Medieval Society. He championed the Consortium of Teaching Middle Ages project and its Middle English Text Series, too, transforming the study of medieval literature for undergraduate and graduate students around the world.

He and his wife, Ruth, also created and still run the Theater in London program, a two-week program held every winter break for the last 21 years. He was also the driving force behind bringing the Robbins Library to Rochester, a collection of highly regarded medieval texts. Professor Peck is a "ringmaster," too. His Department of English diploma ceremonies held every commencement are grand celebrations that his colleagues and alumni fondly recall. Professor Peck has made, and continues to make, a mark on the lives of many.